The present invention is generally directed toward preventing the buildup of mineral deposits in water distribution systems. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for neutralizing the attractive forces or "polarity" of the minerals carried in the water with respect to the distribution system. In this manner, the minerals stay in suspension rather than adhere to the flow carrying components of the distribution system.
It is known in the water treatment industry that various naturally occurring minerals and/or compounds are "suspended" in the water travelling through a water distribution system. Therefore, conditioning of the water used for industrial and domestic purposes is an important consideration in most water distribution systems. Left untreated, the minerals and compounds eventually conglomerate as a deposit of heterogeneous material on the interior metallic surfaces of the flow carrying components (i.e., pipes, valves, etc.) associated with the water distribution system. The resulting buildup or deposit of material is commonly referred to as "scale". The formation of scale poses a significant maintenance problem for water distribution systems, since scale effectively reduces the interior diameter of the pipes. In addition, the buildup of scale deposits in actuation devices, such as filters and flow control valves, can prevent such devices from functioning properly and/or detrimentally reduce their anticipated service life.
To minimize the formation of scale deposits, it is widely accepted that the minerals and/or compounds must be retained in suspension whereby such minerals and/or components pass harmlessly through the pipes and equipment of the water distribution system. While several different alternative methods for inhibiting the formation of scale are known, most have not met with universal success. For example, it is common to add chemicals to the water in an attempt to inhibit the mineral conglomeration process (i.e., "soften" the water). However, chemical additives do not necessarily prevent all forms of scale and may also produce undesirable by-products in the water. Furthermore, the use of chemical additives is generally prohibitive due to excessive costs and storage requirements.
As an alternative solution, various electronic scale control or "de-scaler" systems have been proposed for electrically conditioning the water. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,399 discloses an apparatus for imparting an electrical pulse into the water in order to inhibit the formation of scale deposits. More specifically, it has been shown that the train of electrical pulses acts to inhibit the attractive ionic bonding of the suspended mineral particles and/or compounds. While concomitantly acting to erode or dissolve previously encrusted mineral deposits. Furthermore, such electronic scale control systems do not create any undesirable by-products as a side effect of their operation, giving them a distinct advantage over utilization of chemical additives.
However, in order for such electronic pulse imparting systems to effectively inhibit the formation of scale deposits, it is of critical importance to insure that the electrical pulse train is continuously triggered at a regulated frequency. In addition, it is also critical that the imparted electrical pulse have the proper wave-form and energy to effectively neutralize the conglomeration process as well as to attack the crystalline structure of previously existing scale deposits.